How to run the race

With so many aspects of managing a health practice to juggle in your busy day, it can be difficult to know what to prioritise. First and foremost is the clinical component – ensuring your patients receive the highest quality of care. Alongside this come the myriad operational responsibilities: making sure supplies are available, maintaining the clinic and ensuring your staff are well-trained and supported. And, of course, there is the constant need to monitor expenses, track income and report on finances.

But, like a race, practice management tools can keep you on track: success relies on preparation, training and discipline – both in the clinical and business aspects of ophthalmology. The real keys lie in planning, setting goals, understanding business and, above all, coaching and engaging your team.

In short, you don’t just need to know your field – you need to understand governance, accounting and how to build a positive, motivated culture.

Governance and planning

Simply put, governance is the framework of rules, practices and processes guiding an organisation’s direction and control. In healthcare, corporate governance and clinical governance are embedded within quality accreditation frameworks. You can’t race to success clinically without corporate governance.

One of the basics of governance is strategic planning. Do you have a plan? And, if you do, are you using it meaningfully? A plan isn’t a box-ticking exercise – it’s the track map for your race. As Spike Lee (director of Malcolm X) once said, “I ain’t Martin Luther King. I don’t need a dream. I have a plan.” The point, of course, is that while dreams are powerful, progress happens when we plan for them.

Strategic plans lay the groundwork for everything your organisation does, shaping operational focus, identifying hurdles and helping you lead a culture that strives for results.

Speaking the language of finance

How well do you understand your finance coach, ie. your accountant? For many clinically trained professionals, the figures can feel like the hardest part. But you don’t need to become an accountant – you simply need to understand one.

As Warren Buffett famously put it, “Accounting is the language of business”. Learning that language doesn’t mean mastering every detail – it means being able to interpret financial reports, ask the right questions and make informed decisions.

There are practical steps here. Short courses, such as the University of Auckland’s online ‘finance fundamentals’, can give you the basics. From there, the real work begins: applying that knowledge to your own financials, understanding the variances in income, expenses, cash flow and equity, and engaging with your accountant in meaningful conversations.

Coaching and leading culture

Once the foundations of practice management are in place, the next critical step is leadership. This is perhaps the most rewarding part of the race.

Leadership isn’t just about managing people, it’s about inspiring them. Simon Sinek, one of today’s leading thinkers on management, reminds us that leadership is a learnable skill rooted in courage, integrity and service. It requires painting a vision of the future (identified in your plan), showing your team the pathway to get there and making them feel part of the journey.

That means listening to staff, involving them in decision-making and recognising their contributions along the way. As Steve Jobs once said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do”. Creating a culture where people feel connected and committed is essential – not just for retention, but for patient outcomes.

Finding energy and support

With all these demands, you might ask where the energy comes from to succeed in running the race. One answer lies in support. Seek out mentors – people outside your organisation with similar experience who can provide perspective, guidance and inspiration. Sometimes, just talking through a situation with someone who is removed from the immediate environment can help you arrive at your own solution.

Networking also plays a vital role. Groups such as the Ophthalmology New Zealand Business Managers Group, RANZCO Practice Managers’ Group and the Practice Managers and Administrators Association of New Zealand bring like-minded managers together. Exchanging ideas on common challenges doesn’t just solve problems; it lifts the quality of business practices across the sector. Along the way, you’ll also often forge valuable friendships.

Lifelong learning

In practice management – as in racing – you never stop training. Growth comes not only from formal study but also from the relationships you build through mentoring and networking. These connections provide continuous opportunities to reflect, adapt and improve.

So, run the race for your practice – whether you are an owner, a manager or both. There are frameworks, tools and strategies to help you set the pace, overcome hurdles and lead a team engaged in the journey to success. Above all, stay engaged and inspire your staff to do the same. That shared commitment will carry you all across the finish line.

Moira McInerney is ONZ’s executive officer and an associate professor at Monash University’s Master of Health Management programme. With decades of experience in executive roles, she consults internationally, is an associate member of RANZCO, chaired the Practice Managers’ Group and sat on the Professional Standards Non-Clinical Subcommittee. Her qualifications include a BA, MBA, GAICD, CHE and FCHSM.